ery short. "I don't think any of them died at my hands, but
they deserved it, sure enough."

She smiled again. "After seeing you on the street, I went home and
looked up that slip--I saved it, you see. I've wanted to see you for a
long time. You've had a wonderful life for one so young. This article
raked up a whole lot of stuff about you--said you were the son of a
preacher--is that so?"

"Yes, that part of it was true."

"Same old story, isn't it? I'm the daughter of a college
professor--sectarian college at that." She smiled a moment, then became
as suddenly grave. "I like men. I like men who face danger and think
nothing of it. The article said you came West when a mere boy and got
mixed up in some funny business on the plains and had to take a sneak to
the mountains. What have you been doing since? I wish you'd tell me the
whole story. Come to my house; it's just around the corner."

As she talked, her voice became more subtly pleasing, and the lines of
her mouth took on a touch of girlish grace.

"I haven't time to do that," Mose said, "and besides, my story don't
amount to much. You don't want to believe all they say of me. I've just
knocked around a little like a thousand other fellows, that's all. I
pull out to-night. I'm looking up an old friend down here on a ranch."

She saw her mistake. "All right," she said, and smiled radiantly. "But
come some other time, won't you?" She was so winning, so frank and
kindly that Mose experienced a sudden revulsion of feeling. A powerful
charm came from her superb physique, her radiant color, and from her
beautiful, flexile lips and sound white teeth. He hesitated, and she
pressed her advantage.

"You needn't be afraid of me. The boys often drop in to see me of an
evening. If I can be of any use to you, let me know. I'll tell you what
you do. You take supper with me here to-morrow night. What say?"

Mose looked across at the scowling face of the woman's companion and
said hesitatingly:

"Well, I'll see. If I have time--maybe I will."

She smiled again and impulsively reached her hand to him, and as he took
it he was nearly won by her friendliness. This she did not know, and he
was able to go out into the street alone. He could not but observe that
the attendants treated him with added respect by reason of his
acquaintance with the wealthiest and most powerful woman in the camp.
She had made his loneliness very keen and hard to bear.

As he walked down the stree